Celtics Notes: Tatum, Grousbeck, Chisholm, Training Camp, Simons
In an interview with Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe (subscription required), Jayson Tatum said the realization that he won’t be able to play for several more months — or possibly the entire season — is sinking in as key dates on the calendar get closer. As the Celtics prepare to open training camp, Tatum is still recovering from the Achilles tear he suffered in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, which marked the first long-term injury of his career.
“At first I was sad, I was devastated,” he said. “I was defeated. I felt like it wasn’t fair. I felt I was doing everything right, I was doing everything they asked of me and giving 110 percent and I never cheated the game since I was a kid, so it felt like I got betrayed from the game. It felt unfair and I didn’t deserve it. I didn’t feel angry but you get to the point where you accept. Now is the tough part because you’ve got media day on Monday and practice on Tuesday and it’s becoming a reality that I won’t be out there to practice and play when the season starts and that’s frustrating to have to live through.”
Washburn notes that 19 weeks have passed since the injury, and Tatum has returned to walking normally. He’s also consulting with players who are going through the same process, such as Tyrese Haliburton, Dejounte Murray and Damian Lillard. Tatum vows that the time away from the court will motivate him whenever he’s able to resume playing.
“It’s a long process,” he said. “At first you don’t feel like yourself because you’re stationary. You’ve got a splint on, you got the boot and then the crutches and a walker and a shower seat. It’s hard to feel like yourself. Once I got out of the boot was the moment I started feeling normal again, you’re putting on a shoe, starting to work out, you’re traveling again and you’re starting to get into better spirits. You are starting to feel like yourself.”
There’s more from Boston:
- Former Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck, who is remaining with the organization as alternate governor and CEO, said at a news conference on Thursday that the cost-cutting trades of Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis would have been necessary even if the team hadn’t been sold this summer, relays Christopher L. Gasper of The Boston Globe. Grousbeck also reminded reporters that he was part of the committee that created the new collective bargaining agreement that made the moves necessary. At the same event, new owner William Chisholm promised that he’ll try to add to the Celtics’ collection of NBA titles, per Jimmy Golen of The Associated Press. “Let’s do whatever we can to win championships and raise banners, and raise as many as we can,” Chisholm said. “I will do whatever it takes, whatever the Boston Celtics need me to do.”
- Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe offers a preview of training camp, focusing on the battle for playing time at center, Jaylen Brown‘s increased responsibilities and the expectations for Anfernee Simons, whose time in Boston could be short as he enters the final year of his contract.
- Simons’ $26MM salary limits the Celtics’ trade options right now, but opportunities could open up as the season plays out, Brian Robb of MassLive states in a mailbag column. Robb suggests that Simons is unlikely to ever get the kind of long-term deal he wants in Boston, so his best outcome would be to get traded to a team willing to invest in him.
Chisholm, Grousbeck Plan To Keep Celtics In Title Contention
After the Celtics announced their new ownership structure on Tuesday, majority owner and team governor William Chisholm and alternate governor Wyc Grousbeck talked to Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe about their plans for the future.
Chisholm, who headed up the group that purchased the franchise from the Grousbeck family at a valuation of $6.1 billion, said he understands the immediate need to cut costs to escape the second apron and get control of the team’s salary structure. However, he promised that won’t affect his overall vision for the franchise.
“We’re not playing for second; we’re playing for championships and banners,” Chisholm said. “We’re playing for them in the near term, although we obviously had to do some things to get below the second apron. But we’re also playing for them in the medium and long term. The second apron means you can’t do it by just throwing money at the problem. You have to do it with talent, you have to do it with leadership, and with Wyc and with (president of basketball operations Brad Stevens) and (president Rich Gotham) and (coach Joe Mazzulla), I feel like we have the best leaders in the league.”
Chisholm also expressed optimism that the Celtics can exceed expectations this season with Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and Payton Pritchard leading the way. He added that there’s “real talent” on the roster “that hasn’t been fully realized.”
Chisholm also emphasized that his plan to run the team in a close partnership with Grousbeck hasn’t changed. League rules prevented Grousbeck from retaining his position as governor because he owns less than 15% of the franchise, but both men insist that’s a technicality that won’t affect day-to-day operations.
“When it became clear the governor title was not going to be available because of technical reasons, because of math, Bill said, ‘Well, then we’re just not going to use that word around the office.’ So that says a lot about Bill, that he doesn’t care,” Grousbeck said. “He just wants to do the right thing for the team, and I feel the exact same way. We’re shoulder to shoulder.”
They also addressed the decision to give Mazzulla a multiyear extension ahead of what should be his most challenging season as head coach. Grousbeck said they want him “happy and empowered” as he leads a team that’s suddenly in the middle of the pack in the East.
“I’m really excited to see what he does in this kind of environment,” Chisholm added. “I think people will really appreciate what he’s all about. When he doesn’t have the loaded team, what can he do? And I think that’s going to be really interesting, and I have every confidence he’s going to crush it.”
Celtics Announce New Ownership Structure, Titles
Following last week’s announcement that the NBA’s Board of Governors had approved the sale of the Celtics to a group led by William Chisholm, the team put out a press release on Tuesday confirming the ownership change and the closing of the sale while sharing more details on the new hierarchy at the top of the organization.
As expected, Chisholm has taken over as the Celtics’ governor, with Aditya Mittal and former majority owner Wyc Grousbeck named alternate governors.
Although the plan to have Grousbeck retain his governor position until 2028 fell through, he’ll still hold the CEO and co-owner titles, and will run day-to-day operations alongside Chisholm, per today’s press release. Grousbeck retained a stake in the franchise, but no longer controls at least a 15% share, making him ineligible to remain on as the team’s primary governor.
As for Mittal, reporting in May indicated that he was expected to be the second-largest stakeholder in Chisholm’s ownership group. In addition to Chisholm, Mittal, and Grousbeck, shareholders in the franchise include Bruce Beal, Andrew Bialecki, Dom Ferrante, Robert Hale, Mario Ho, Ian Loring, and the investment firm Sixth Street.
“This truly is a dream come true for me and my family,” Chisholm, a lifelong Celtics fan, said in a statement. “I feel so fortunate to be here as part of this new investor group, who are accomplished, driven people who care deeply about the Celtics and the Boston community. On behalf of our group I am thrilled to partner with Wyc, (president of basketball operations) Brad Stevens and (president of business operations) Rich Gotham to move this outstanding organization forward. We are committed to building on the legacy of the Celtics and raising banners, and I can’t wait for the team to get back out there this fall.”
The Celtics’ announcement also includes a brief statement from Grousbeck:
“The Celtics have been my life’s work for the past 23 years. This incredible ride is now continuing. I am fired up to be shoulder to shoulder with Bill as we pull every lever to go after another banner. There is nothing better than winning.”
Wyc Grousbeck Won’t Continue To Be Celtics’ Governor
3:08 pm: Chisholm and Grousbeck still intend to run the Celtics together for the next few years, according to Shelburne, who reports (via Twitter) that Grousbeck is giving up his governor title because he’ll control less than the 15% minimum stake required for the person who holds that position.
10:50 am: When the Grousbeck family agreed to sell the Celtics to William Chisholm, the stated plan was for Wyc Grousbeck to remain in his role as the team’s governor through the 2027/28 season. The expectation was that Grousbeck would give up his position when Chisholm’s group – which is initially buying a 51% stake – purchased the rest of the shares in the franchise in 2028.
However, Grousbeck will no longer retain the governor title following the first stage of the ownership transfer, sources tell ESPN’s Shams Charania and Ramona Shelburne. According to Charania and Shelburne, Chisholm will immediately become the Celtics’ new governor once his purchase of the team is approved, which is expected to happen very soon.
ESPN’s report doesn’t specify the reason for the change of plans, but it was an unorthodox approach to have Chisholm acquiring majority control of the team while keeping the team’s former majority owner in the top organizational role.
Grousbeck will continue to operate as the Celtics’ CEO and will also serve as an alternate governor once the sale is complete, per Charania and Shelburne.
This isn’t the first time in recent years that a plan to have an NBA owner remain in a prominent position in the organization after he sells the team has fallen through — Mark Cuban was reportedly expected to remain the Mavericks’ top basketball decision-maker after he sold controlling interest in his franchise to the Aldersons and Patrick Dumont, but that didn’t end up happening.
The Lakers announced a similar arrangement when Mark Walter reached an agreement to buy control of the team from the Buss family. The expectation is that Jeanie Buss will stay in her role as governor in Los Angeles for several seasons after Walter assumes control of the franchise.
Given what happened with Cuban and now Grousbeck, we’ll see if that comes to fruition, but it’s worth noting that Walter has been a minority owner in the Lakers for several years and had a preexisting relationship with the Buss family when he agreed to purchase the club, whereas the buyers and sellers in Dallas and Boston hadn’t previously worked together.
Grousbeck will step down as Boston’s governor after holding the position for over two decades. The Grousbeck family bought the Celtics in 2002 and has since helped guide the organization to a pair of championships (in 2008 and 2024). They bought the team for $360MM and sold it at a valuation of $6.1 billion.
Celtics Notes: Sale, Porzingis, Holiday, Hauser, White, Tatum
With the NBA’s Board of Governors set to vote on the Celtics sale later this month, there don’t appear to be any reasons that it would be rejected, writes Brian Robb of MassLive. New majority owner William Chisholm finalized the funding for the $6.1 billion purchase in May, with Robert Hale, Bruce A. Beal Jr. and Sixth Street among the other notable investors.
The group will take over a 51% stake of the team this summer, with the remainder of the purchase to be completed in 2028. Some concerns were raised about a two-stage deal after a similar arrangement in Minnesota had to be worked out in court, but commissioner Adam Silver didn’t raise any objections when asked about the purchase during his press conference Thursday before the start of the NBA Finals.
“I’d just say that the Boston Celtics deal I don’t think of as a staged deal,” Silver said. “They’re still in the process of completing it. It’s really more about a phase-out of current ownership. I think there Bill Chisholm, who is the incoming owner, he’s got to sort of straighten out some affairs in his life and his business. He’s currently located on the West Coast. I think he’s a huge admirer of (current majority owner) Wyc Grousbeck and the way he’s been running that team. Obviously their results speak for themselves.”
There’s more from Boston:
- Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday and Sam Hauser are all likely to be traded this summer if management is determined to get below the tax threshold, Robb states in a mailbag column. With a $10MM salary next season, Hauser should be easy to move without taking back another player in return, Robb adds. That won’t be true for Porzingis ($30.7MM) or Holiday ($32.4MM), but Robb suggests that Boston can reduce the salaries it takes on by getting other teams involved.
- As the Celtics consider how to cut payroll this summer, Derrick White should be kept off the table in any trade talks, contends Chad Finn of The Boston Globe. Finn points out that White holds the franchise record for the most made three-pointers in a season, and he’s an elite shot blocker for a guard. He’s only 30 with a relatively affordable contract, and he can be part of the foundation to rebuild around when Jayson Tatum returns from his Achilles injury.
- Tatum offered an update today on his recovery from surgery, tweeting, “Day 25… days starting to get a little easier.”
William Chisholm Finalizes New Celtics Ownership Group
Impending Celtics owner William Chisholm has finalized his new ownership group and has obtained the necessary funds to purchase the team, according to a letter sent to existing shareholders that was obtained by Adam Himmselsbach of The Boston Globe.
The letter confirms much of what was reported a couple weeks ago by Front Office Sports, including that Chisholm had secured enough capital to complete the sale; the buyers will acquire approximately 51% of the franchise this summer at a valuation of $6.1 billion in the first of two transactions; the second transaction will occur in 2028 at a $7.3 billion valuation; and current owner Wyc Grousbeck will continue as CEO and governor through the 2027/28 season.
As Himmelsbach notes, the sale will not become official until it’s approved by the NBA’s Board of Governors in June or July, though that’s viewed as a formality. Chisholm’s exact stake has yet to be clarified, Himmelsbach adds, but he’s required to control at least 15% to be the majority owner.
Chisholm’s winning bid for the Celtics was not fully financed at the time the agreement was reached in March, but obviously that has changed over the past couple months. That also isn’t unusual for such a massive transaction, Himmelsbach writes.
According to the letter, current minority owners who are not joining Chisholm’s group will be required to sell 50% “plus one unit” of their interest in the Celtics while deferring the rest until the second transaction in 2028. They also have the option of selling their all of their shares this summer, according to Himmselbach, who reports that those stakeholders have until May 28 to inform Chisholm’s group of their decision.
Celtics Sale Expected To Close Soon
The group headed by William Chisholm has attained enough money to cover the cost of buying the Celtics, and the sale is expected to be finalized in the next week or so, sources tell Ben Horney of Front Office Sports.
Two sources describe the group’s status as “oversubscribed,” according to Horney, with more than enough capital on hand to complete the deal. Horney states that the buyers will acquire slightly more than 51% of the franchise in the first part of the transaction, but the exact stake for Chisholm hasn’t been clarified.
Front Office Sports reported last week last that Chisholm was still seeking investors, so progress has apparently been made in the past few days.
Horney notes that Chisholm’s group has also resolved an issue involving Sixth Street Partners, a private equity firm. Reports emerged after the sale was announced in March that Sixth Street Partners was contributing more money to the sale than Chisholm, which isn’t permitted. NBA regulations state that private equity firms cannot be the largest stakeholder in a team and that at least 15% of the purchase price must come from the controlling owner.
That issue was raised by current minority owner Steve Pagliuca, who also sought to buy the team. Horney states that Pagliuca wrote a public letter to Celtics fans last month promising that his proposal was “fully guaranteed and financed” and contained “no debt or private equity money that would potentially hamstring our ability to compete in the future.”
Pagliuca added that he and his partners were “ready to check back into the game” if Chisholm’s group couldn’t comply with NBA bylaws.
According to Horney, a plan remains in place to have current owner Wyc Grousbeck continue as CEO and governor through the 2027/28 season. A source tells Horney that there will be two parts to the sale, and current minority owners can also keep their positions in the organization until 2028.
The minority owners can sell their stakes for up to 20% more than the original price of the deal, Horney adds, under a revenue-based formula established by the league. He estimates that it will bring the actual value of the deal to almost $7.3 billion.
Several new minority owners will be identified in the coming weeks, and they could include a few familiar names to Boston sports fans, according to Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. A source tells Himmelsbach that Chisholm has made it a priority to establish ties with the local business community.
Himmelsbach also points out that no matter when the sale is finalized, it won’t become official until it’s approved by the NBA’s Board of Governors, probably in June or July.
Celtics Notes: Tatum, Porzingis, Horford, Sale
There are few signs of the right wrist injury that Jayson Tatum suffered in Game 1, except for a new celebration he has started using after clutch shots, writes Baxter Holmes of ESPN. Tatum credits rookie Baylor Scheierman for coming up with the move, in which he raises his arms and clasps his right wrist with his left hand. It was on display frequently during the two games in Orlando as Tatum scored 36 and 37 points to help the Celtics return home with a 3-1 series lead.
“I know what I’m dealing with,” Tatum said about his wrist. “My team knows how serious it is, but it’s that time of year. We’re all sacrificing our bodies and going through things. It’s the playoffs.”
Holmes notes that Tatum has been a consistent weapon for the Celtics against an aggressive Magic defense that limited them to 31 three-point attempts on Sunday, well below their season average of 48.4 per game. Sunday’s contest was tied at 91-91 with 4:16 left before Tatum delivered nine late points to pull out the victory.
“I thought in my head, like, ‘This guy is special,'” Kristaps Porzingis said. “He just has, I think also, from when I got here to now, he’s developed more of a killer instinct, and he’s been getting us big buckets in this series and last year’s playoffs. Thanks to him, we were right there, and today again he was phenomenal.”
There’s more on the Celtics:
- Porzingis knew he needed to try something different after being held to 28% shooting from the field in the first three games of the series, per Brian Robb of MassLive. He found the answer in Game 4, rolling to the basket for three easy dunks in the first quarter on his way to 19 points. “Just being a bit more towards the rim because they weren’t really – even though I haven’t shot the ball good in this series, they don’t really give up anything from the three,” Porzingis said. “They’re closing out really hard, so, gotta make an adjustment.”
- Al Horford swatted away five shots on Sunday, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the only players 38 or older with that many blocks in a playoff game, according to Khari Thompson of The Boston Globe. “There should be a separate stat sheet for guys like him because of the type of stuff that he does,” coach Joe Mazzulla said. “Just an unbelievable competitor. Made all the plays necessary to help us win.”
- Even though William Chisholm has been announced as the Celtics’ next owner, there are still things about the sale that remain “murky,” according to Ben Horney of Front Office Sports, including Wyc Grousbeck‘s role in the power structure once the purchase is finalized and the new ownership team’s plans to deal with an escalating payroll.
Celtics Rumors: Holiday, Porzingis, White, Horford, Ownership
While no one expects the Celtics to move on from Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown anytime soon, there are questions around the league about how long the club can carry one of the NBA’s highest payrolls, subjecting itself to significant luxury tax penalties and onerous second-apron restrictions, writes Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).
The general consensus is that the Celtics might be willing to run it back again if they win another title this season. “You can’t break up a team that could be going for a three-peat,” one Western Conference executive told Fischer. But if Boston falls short of a championship? “They’re going to have to trade some guys at some point,” a team capologist said.
According to Fischer, league figures are keeping a close eye on guard Jrue Holiday and big man Kristaps Porzingis as possible trade chips later this year or next. Fischer suggests that guard Derrick White would likely have more trade value than either Porzingis or Holiday if he were made available this summer, but says no one he talked to seems to believe Boston would consider moving White.
If the Celtics do consider trading one of their top five highest-paid players, Holiday could be the most obvious odd man out due to a handful of factors, including his contract (three years and $104.4MM after this season) and Boston’s loaded backcourt.
As Fischer writes, besides White, the Celtics’ depth chart includes Sixth Man of the Year frontrunner Payton Pritchard and rookie Baylor Scheierman, whose development over the course of this season has been viewed by the team as very promising.
Here’s more on the C’s:
- Turning Al Horford‘s $9.5MM salary slot into a minimum-salary player next season would help the Celtics with their cap/tax situation, but the club likely wouldn’t welcome that possibility if it means losing Horford. Assuming the big man wants to continue his career, there are rival cap strategists who believe his market could start around the taxpayer mid-level exception ($5.7MM), Fischer writes.
- Sixth Street Partners, a private equity firm, has committed more money to William Chisholm‘s ownership bid than Chisholm himself, reports Dan Primack of Axios. That’s not permitted by NBA rules, which allow private equity firms to hold up to a 20% stake in a team as long as their share is less than that of the controlling owner (which must be at least 15%).
- In Primack’s view, Chisholm’s two options are to be granted some sort of waiver by the NBA to get around that rule or to bring in enough new investors that Sixth Street’s full check is no longer necessary and they’re contributing less to the bid than Chisholm. Silver said on Thursday that the option of a waiver isn’t being discussed, according to Fischer. “Not at all,” he said. “And while the deal in a preliminary fashion has just been presented to the league, at this time there’s no contemplation of changing our ownership rules.”
- Fischer also asked Silver on Thursday about the reported arrangement between Chisholm and outgoing owner Wyc Grousbeck that would keep Grousbeck in the CEO and governor positions through 2028. As Fischer notes, it sounds similar to what Mark Cuban wanted when he sold the Mavericks, but in that instance it wasn’t put into writing and didn’t happen. “I think the Grousbeck family and the buyer are still working through those arrangements on exactly how that would work in terms of CEO roles and governor roles during some transition,” Silver said. “I think the situation was very different in Dallas. There was a clear change in control of the franchise to Patrick Dumont and his family. Any decision as to what Mark’s role would be in basketball operations was a function of an arrangement to be made between Mark Cuban and Patrick. The ultimate governance was absolutely clear, as presented to our board, that the last word on any basketball activities or any significant decision for the franchise would be made by Patrick.”
- In his latest mailbag, Brian Robb of MassLive answers questions about Luke Kornet‘s upcoming free agency, the best first-round playoff opponent for the Celtics, and the ownership transition.
Atlantic Notes: Raptors, Embiid, Dowtin, Chisholm
After facing a lot of high-level competition and working through a tough schedule early into the 2024/25 season, the Raptors have seen their slate during the year’s home stretch get significantly easier — just as they’ve been looking to stack up losses.
Toronto is hoping to cement its bid for the best possible lottery odds in this summer’s draft, but playing fellow rebuilding squads could complicate that plan, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca.
To wit, Grange notes that the Raptors are still scheduled to play Charlotte and Brooklyn twice each, and have one more game against seemingly lottery-bound clubs in Philadelphia, San Antonio, Portland, Chicago and Dallas as the season winds down.
As of this writing, the 25-47 Raptors have the seventh-worst record in the league. They could conceivably overtake the 23-49 Nets and Sixers – and maybe even the 20-53 Pelicans – in the lottery order if they play their cards “right.”
There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:
- Sixers coach Nick Nurse said today that injured former MVP center Joel Embiid has finished consulting various specialists about his lingering knee inflammation, and Philadelphia intends to make a decision on next steps “soon-ish,” per Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports (Twitter link).
- Sixers guard Jeff Dowtin is rapidly approaching the 50-contest active game limit for two-way players. According to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscriber link), the Rhode Island alum has just two games left before Philadelphia faces a decision on his fate. If the Sixers want to give the 27-year-old any more run in 2024/25 beyond those two games, the front office will need to promote Dowtin to its standard roster. Through 38 games this year (he has been a DNP-CD in 10), the 6’3″ guard boasts averages of 6.4 PPG, 1.8 APG, 1.6 RPG and 0.5 SPG in 14.1 minutes per night.
- Incoming Celtics owner Bill Chisholm spoke with All-Star forwards Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown and team president Brad Stevens ahead of the club’s recent tilt in Sacramento, writes Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe (subscriber link). “It’s the most incredible feeling to think that maybe I can just play a tiny little part in the future,” Chisholm said, “and now I’ll just let these guys do what they’re doing, let Brad do his thing. If I can help in any way, that’s amazing to think about.”
- Stevens himself spoke about the Celtics‘ impending new ownership situation too, per Souichi Terada of MassLive. “My only thing is just asking to be kept in the loop on everything I need to know from the standpoint of making decisions here and now and moving forward,” Stevens said. “As we get to spend more time with Bill, with [current team governor Wyc Grousbeck] and Bill, then we’ll have more clarity on how we are going to do things.